Meet the Staff

Annie Selak (she/her/hers) is an expert in feminist ecclesiology. She comes to the Women’s Center with a wealth of experience in student affairs, Jesuit higher education, and theology. Annie has over 15 years of experience in Catholic higher education. She spent 4 years as a residence hall rector at the University of Notre Dame, where she also had dual appointments in the Career Center and the Center for Social Concerns. In this capacity, she was involved in student leadership and development, student advising, sexual assault prevention and response, vocational discernment, innovative curriculum development bringing together student life and academics, and preparing students for culturally-informed service-learning trips. 

Annie earned her doctorate in systematic theology at Boston College, specializing in the Roman Catholic Church in the United States. Her academic research includes ecclesiology, feminist and liberationist theologies, theology of ministry, rape culture on Catholic college campuses, identity formation in young women, multicultural and interfaith aspects of Catholicism, responding to the sex abuse crisis in the Catholic church, Ignatian spirituality and pedagogy, and racism and sexism in the Catholic church. Her research has appeared in Modern Theology, Journal for Catholic Social Thought, America Magazine, Washington Post, Commonweal, National Catholic Reporter, The Conversation and several edited volumes and collections. Her first book, The Wounded Church (Fordham University Press, 2024) examines racism, sexism, and the clergy sex abuse crisis in the church and proposes a way of viewing the church as wounded.

Annie has taught in diverse learning environments including the University of Notre Dame, Boston College, and Marymount University. At Georgetown, she serves as a Community Resource Professional for the Engelhard Project for Connecting Life and Learning and an adjunct instructor in the Department of Theology and Religious Studies. As a former Jesuit Volunteer (Detroit, 2005-06), Annie is committed to supporting Jesuit higher education and served on the board of directors for Alpha Sigma Nu, the Jesuit Honor Society. She graduated from Santa Clara University (BA in Religious Studies, BS Political Science) and the Jesuit School of Theology at Berkeley (MDiv). She is a native Californian and lives in Washington DC.

Annie is in the office every day.

To set up an appointment, email annie.selak@georgetown.edu.

Annie Selak CV

Select Publications and Public Scholarship

“A feminist theologian says, ‘Our Father’ is not the only way of referring to God.” The Conversation (June 15, 2023)

“Pope Francis apologized for the harm done to First Nations peoples, but what does a pope’s apology mean?” The Conversation (April 8, 2022)

“How Catholic Colleges Can Address the Epidemic of Sexual Violence on Campuses.” National Catholic Reporter (October 5, 2021)

“What Can We Learn from WNBA Athletes Fighting for Freedom?” National Catholic Reporter (September 18, 2021)

“An Examination of Alternative Break Trips and Whiteness in Jesuit Higher Education,” co-authored with Susan Haarman. Jesuit Higher Education: A Journal 10, no. 2, 138-149. Accessible at https://epublications.regis.edu/jhe/vol10/iss2/14

“The Lived Experience of the Faithful.” In Pope Francis: A Vision for Mercy, Justice, Love and Care for the Earth, ed. Massimo Faggioli and Barbara Wall. Maryknoll, NY: Orbis Books, 2019, 218-237.

“Missing Voices in Amoris Laetitia: An Examination of Law, Narrative, and Possibilities for Inclusion in Roman Catholic Church Teaching.” Journal of Catholic Social Thought 16, no. 1 (Winter 2019), 83-102.

“Orthodoxy, Orthopraxis and Orthopathy: Evaluating the Feminist Kenosis Debate.” Modern Theology 33, no. 4 (October 2017), 529-548.

“The Power of Memory and Witnessing: A Trauma-Informed Analysis of Anamnesis in the Roman Catholic Mass,” in College Theology Society Annual Volume, Liturgy + Power, ed. Brian Flanagan and Johann Vento (Maryknoll, NY: Orbis Books, 2016), 22-33.

Alexus (she/her/hers) is a junior in the college studying Neurobiology. She transferred to Georgetown last year from Portland, Oregon.

In her free time, Alexus enjoys traveling, playing video games, and going to concerts!

Alexus is in the office on Monday, Tuesday, and Friday.

Camila (she/her/hers) is a senior in the SFS studying International Politics with a concentration in International Law and a minor in French.

She is Albanian and Bolivian but has moved abroad her whole life.

Camila loves reading (and overspending at bookstores), trying new foods, and photography.

Camila is in the office on Tuesday, Thursday, and Friday.

Lena (any pronouns) is an exchange student from Georgetown’s Qatar campus studying International Economics and minoring in History.

They are originally from Palestine and hope to visit one day.

Lena enjoys crocheting, running, and having yap sessions with friends!

Lena is in the office on Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday.

Mara (she/her/hers) is a sophomore in the College of Arts & Sciences studying Justice & Peace Studies and English.

She is originally from Honolulu, Hawai’i.

Mara loves to do makeup, sing, and do creative writing.

Fun fact: Mara collects postcards and has now collected almost a thousand!

Mara is in the office on Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday.

Lily (she/her/hers) is a junior in the School of Health studying Global Health with minors in Justice and Peace Studies and Global Development Studies.

She is originally from Arlington, VA.

Lily loves watching TV (especially anime and reality TV), being around dogs, reading, and playing frisbee.

Lily is in the office on Tuesday, Thursday, and Friday.

Wedad (she/her/hers) is a senior in the SFS studying International Politics with a concentration in International Law and a certificate in African Studies.

She is from Khartoum, Sudan, and Buffalo Grove, IL.

Wedad enjoys reading, watching kdramas, and cooking.

Wedad is in the office on Tuesday and Thursday.

Zannat (she/her/hers) is a senior in the College majoring in Government and Justice & Peace Studies.

Born in Bangladesh and raised in DC, she enjoys exploring local cafés and cute bookshops.

Her hobbies include reading novels, photography, and watching anime.

Zannat is in the office on Tuesday and Wednesday.